Electric car sales doubled in Russia after Ukraine blew up oil refineries

Electric car sales in Russia have more than doubled this year, after Ukrainian strikes knocked out a large share of the country's oil refineries. From June through August, Russians bought 26,543 battery-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, up 118% from 12,187 in the same period last year. The jump comes as Russia's refining capacity has dropped to about 70% of what the country needs, with 24 of its 33 largest refineries hit. That has led to long lines at gas stations, fuel-sale restrictions in several regions, and a ban on gasoline exports.

Even with the surge, electric vehicles still make up only about 6% of the roughly 400,000 cars sold in Russia during that stretch, well below the global average of around 25%. Russia has long had cheap, abundant gasoline, which is part of why electric cars never caught on there. The current spike shows that even a country built around oil can shift toward electric vehicles when gas becomes hard to find.

For homeowners, this is really a story about global energy trends rather than anything that changes rebates or programs close to home. It is a reminder that fuel supply disruptions elsewhere in the world can ripple into gas prices and push more drivers everywhere toward electric options. If you already have an EV, or are weighing one alongside home upgrades like a heat pump or rooftop solar, this is one more sign that the shift away from gasoline is picking up speed even in unlikely places.